Teamsters Endorse Jay Nixon for Governor

ST. LOUIS, MO – The International Brotherhood of Teamsters and its 65,000 active and retired Missouri members today announced its strong endorsement of Attorney General Jay Nixon for Governor, citing the Attorney General’s strong record of standing up for regular working Missourians.  

Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa was in St. Louis today to announce the endorsement at the Joint Council #13 and Teamsters Local 600 Union Hall in Maryland Heights.

“Jay Nixon has been a true friend to Missouri's working families his entire career,” said General President Hoffa. “The Teamsters Union is proud to endorse him in his bid for governor. We will do our best to reach out to our 65,000 active and retired members in the state of Missouri and let them know that Jay Nixon is the right choice for governor."

“From slashing health care from thousands of Missourians to making college less affordable for families, Matt Blunt has made it more difficult for regular folks to make ends meet,” said Attorney General Jay Nixon.  “Throughout my career, I’ve stood up to the special interests on behalf of working Missourians and I’ll continue doing that as our next Governor.  Missouri’s working families deserve a Governor who will fight for them, not against them.”

“For three years, Matt Blunt has enacted policies that have hurt regular working folks,” said Dan McKay, President of Joint Council 13 and Local 600.  “Blunt has slashed health care, made college harder to afford, and failed to move our economy forward. Jay Nixon has a track record of standing up for regular, working Missourians. We’re proud to throw our support behind Jay in this race.”

For over 100 years, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has represented Missouri’s workers.  Currently there are over 40,000 Teamster members in the state of Missouri, and an additional 25,000 retired members.  Teamsters encompass workers: long haul drivers, bakery workers, grocery and warehouse workers, automotive workers, petroleum workers, small package drivers, public employees and brewers, car haulers, airlines, auto dealers, and graphic communication workers, among others.

 

Jay Nixon: A Record of Supporting Missouri’s Working Men And Women

Attorney General Jay Nixon believes that every Missourian who works hard and plays by the rules should have an opportunity to get ahead and achieve his or her dreams.  Throughout his more than 20 years in public service, Jay has a track record of consistently fighting for the needs of working Missourians.  He strongly supports the recent minimum wag increase, fights for the collective bargaining rights of Missourians, enforces prevailing wage laws and prosecutes employers who do not carry workers’ compensation.  As our next Governor, Jay Nixon will always be a friend to the hard-working men and women who keep our state moving forward.

Jay Nixon Was A Member Of The Laborers Union.  Jay Nixon carried a card from the Laborers Union for seven years, beginning in 1973. 

Jay Nixon Supports The Minimum Wage Increase Passed By Missouri Voters In 2006.  Jay Nixon, in his January 2007 response to Governor Matt Blunt’s State of the State address, “applauded the minimum wage increase passed by voters in November” 2006.  The Missouri Democratic Party endorsed the ballot initiative to increase the minimum wage in August of 2006.  [Missouri Digital News, 01/24/07; Missouri Democratic Party Press Release, 8/14/2006]

Jay Nixon Has Successfully Pursued Over 100 Prevailing Wage Enforcement Actions Against Companies Involving $2.7 Million In Back-wages To Employees.  As Attorney General, Jay Nixon has pursued over 100 prevailing wage enforcement actions against companies, involving over $2.7 million in wages determined to be owed to workers.  The Attorney General’s office collected $336,870 in penalties from companies found to be in violation of the prevailing wage law. [Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards]

Jay Nixon Fought To Maintain Unions’ Rights To Be Politically Involved.  Jay Nixon, in 1998, “said he is against proposals to require approval of all members of a union before their dues are spent on.”  [The Associated Press State & Local Wire, 08/31/98]

Jay Nixon Has Consistently Taken Action Against Employers Who Do Not Carry Workers’ Compensation Insurance For Their Employees.  According to a press release from the Attorney General’s office, “Attorney General Jay Nixon collected $560,283 in 2006 from Missouri employers who violated state law by not carrying workers' compensation insurance for their employees.  It brings the total that Nixon's office has collected from non-compliant employers in the state to more than $1.87 million over the past three years.  ‘Missouri's workers deserve protection on the job, and these employers were not providing that protection the law requires,’ Nixon said.  ‘This put their employees at risk and created an unfair advantage for the lawbreakers over the employers who play by the rules.   We will continue to take aggressive action in these cases to ensure that they obtain the necessary workers' compensation insurance and pay appropriate penalties.’  In addition to the $560,000 collected from employers prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office, Nixon required 131 employers in 2006 to obtain workers'  compensation insurance to protect their employees.” [Office of the Attorney General of Missouri, Press Release, 12/29/06]